Gymnastics - so if you're not in the squad, it's basically a waste of time?

[Schulte]

So, bear with me. DD (nearly 7) has been doing gymnastics at a supposedly good club for over 3 years now. She has badge 6, 5 and another one for strength and flexibility, but she can't do a cartwheel and she says they have never practised cartwheels or handstands, and they don't even do forward rolls either (although I believe she can do one but not very well). I am not quite sure WHAT she does as we are not allowed to watch, but I think they do a bit of bouncing on the trampoline, a bit of hanging off the bar, and walking backwards and forwards on the beam and that's it.

The coach once told me that the only way they ever get to compete is if they get invited to the squad, and seeing as she's about to turn seven and hasn't been asked I guess she won't ever make it into the squad. So she'll basically keep bouncing on the trampoline and walking up and down the beam forever and never learn any proper gymnastics skills?

As an ex gymnast myself I find the whole thing incredibly frustrating. I started late (I was 8) but learned quickly and everyone trained together for competitions, twice a week - there was no such thing as a squad, we all had a go at learning all the moves and it was such fun and the competitions were just an amazing experience. I am very sad that DD will miss out on learning all those moves just because she is not squad material?

Please someone tell me there is a life somewhere between this dull beginner level and squad where you can actually just do the sport and have fun with it? It seems hard to believe that there isn't?

Competition leotards are expensive but there are loads of training leotards you can buy new for under £20 , and if your club has a second hand shop about £10.If your daughter has told you otherwise, I think you are being 'had'
I am very grateful that the clubs I have coached at haven't had to have club leos for training as when I see hundreds of gymnasts for only and hour a week, I'd never tell them apart if they all wore the same!!!

I'd say look at another club. That sounds rubbish to me.

My daughter, now aged 15, was a gymnast until 18 months ago. She started in artistic at 5 and gave up at 7.5 (she was in development, but it was a very 'shouty' bunch of coaches). She started again at age 11 in Acrobatic Gymnastics, but left again at 13 as she is too tall and willowy to be a strong base.

She wasn't a swimmer at all and only had one basic stroke with no style at all, but she tried out for a synchronised swimming club and because of her flexibility and core strength they agreed to take her on, despite her advanced age. Fast forward 18 months and she's racing through the competitive structure and has qualified into National age groups as an individual.

It seems to be easier to make a gymnast into a swimmer than make a swimmer into a gymnast! They usually like synchro swimmers to start at about 7 or 8, and those with a background in gymnastics or dancing are preferred. There are some really big clubs around and it's a fabulous and very difficult sport :-)

You are in the wrong club. My DD has her first red class at age of 7.5, and two months later she was I. A squad. Now she is 10 and she does skills with girls aged 12 that have been training since they were 3 and 4 years old. So never too late if they have the strength, flexibility and energy to train and succeed. Your club must be doing rec classes for the money, squad is cheaper and takes more effort and risks.

I think it depends very much on the club, some are good with their rec gymnasts, others less so. If you feel that she is not getting much out of the gymnastics, have you considered trying an acrobatic arts class instead?

she tried out for a synchronised swimming club ... has qualified into National age groups as an individual

Erm, what, how does that work?

Erm, what, how does that work?

sirfredfredgeorge

My post was 4 years ago and my daughter has now given up synchro and gone off to Uni. I presume that you're asking how you can do synchro as an individual?

Competitive synchro isn't just about routines, there's a grading structure that requires the swimmer to be able to complete increasingly complex moves in the water in front of assessors, as well as being able to demonstrate flexibility on land. As the swimmers move through the grades in their age groups they become eligible to compete at different levels. The best of their age groups will also be able to compete a solo routine to music and their final score in the competition will comprise both their judged skills (called 'figures') and their musical routine.

Solo routines are well established in synchronised swimming. Obviously they don't synchronise to other swimmers, but they synchronise with the music and are judged on their artistry as well as the difficulty in the moves they performs.

This is a solo from one of the best young British swimmers.

Thanks Chocolatedeficitdisorder I did indeed wonder that, so thanks for the description, I guess it's just my confusion about the name of the sport!

Think it's the same with a lot of "activities" in general that some blatantly just screw the casual parents for every penny they can get out of them and view them as the ones that don't matter at all in terms of staff, equipment and attention. We've just dropped a dancing school that were doing that as I got flipping sick of weeks and weeks of classes being dumped on the assistant teachers who would just resort to musical statues to Let it Go for 2/3 of the lesson (other 1/3 being the warm up CD) while the proper teaching staff were at competitions for weeks on end. I know squads and competitions are the real reason for places existing - but this was so blatant a cash grab when they'd screened out the talent they actually wanted that I really wasn't putting up with it anymore.

In contrast the gym club they go to is actually really good with their rec classes. They are very very competition-geared as an organisation - but do regular open to all of the required ages (tends to be older age 5/6 - they email for all born in a given year who are interested) squad open trial sessions... and you don't get fobbed off standing in the corner while the squad are using the equipment - they've got the timetable across their sites set up so that doesn't happen. Hell DD2 is about as much of a no-hoper as you're ever going to get in terms of balance and coordination but they're happy to differentiate for her in terms of the support they give and she participates fully in the class. I still encourage her to do gymnastics for as long as she's enjoying it because even if she's always going to be pretty poor - it's helping her motor skills no end just taking part.